Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-06-25
THE TWO WEBSTERS.
Comparative Greatness of Daniel and
Noah-Their Respective Excellence.

Comparative Greatness Of Daniel and
Noah-Their Respective Excellence.
America has produced two distinguished
Websters-Daniel and Noah.
Daniel possessed a ready command Of
words, we are told by his biographer though
as to how this large stock came into Daniels
possession we are left in the dark. Let lis
hope he came by them honestly.
One would think that this would have
qualified him to build dictionary, but it
did not. Noah was the dictionary maker,
although his command of words was far in
ferior to Daniels. In fact, when Noah be-
gan the preparation of that delightful epic
of his entitled webster on Bridge" he
found himself so short of words that he spent
ten years in grubbing for their roots.
Having secured a quantity of these of
thrifty stock the presumption is that he
planted them and raised several large crops.
At least that conclusion seems perfectly
reasonable after glance at the epic referred
to.
In preparing his dictionary Mr.. Webster
recognized the fact that it would be perused
with interest and spectacles by people Of
every race, color and previous condition Of
servitude, and possibly by some others. He
therefore disliked to give arbitrary spellings
and pronunciations of words, and in many
cases he allowed an elasticity in the former
which is very encouraging to the intelligent
compositor.
This work of Noah's not what might be
called an intensely interesting book. Its de-
scriptions are noted for their brevity, and the
plot is not at all connected. But it is very
popular, nevertheless, and many people,
even among those who have received col
lege education, occasionally initiate its mode
of spelling
Mr.. Noah Webster would have had to this
day an umblemished reputation had he
rested on his laurels when he finished his
literary work But in an evil moment he
placed himself in the hands OF his friends,
and they, with fiendish malignity, sent him
to the Connecticut Legislature. As all efforts
to induce the governor to pardon him failed,
hewa obliged to serve his full term.
Daniel Webster was noted as the sole pro-
prietor of the largest head in existence in
his day, not only after he had been out with
the boys. but also previous to those solemn
occasions
In these days it is not considered compli-
mentary to be referred to as possessing the
big head, but Daniel held it not derogatory
to his fame.
His Uranium was permanently swelled
and he seemed to be proud of the fact
1t was Daniels delight to get together a
large number of natives, and, holding them
spellbound with his eloquence SO that they
could not get away, he would fire at them a
large and varied assortment of the words of
which he had such ready command.
This brand of eloquence is scarce now, but
swelled heads are drug in the market.
Daniel descended yet lower than Noah, for
while the latter was only a member of the
Legislature, Daniel succeeded in breaking
into Congress. And though he left no die
tionary to live after him, he was not wholly
blameless in this respect. He left several
orations to terrorize unborn generations of
schoolboys.
In his youth, Daniel wrote some poetry,
but as he seems to have freed himself from
this pernicious habit later in life, it should
not now be charged against him.
WIN. H. SIvITER.